Best Of 2017: Dining

Winners of the 2017 Best Of survey

Fro-yo more your thing? Here are where readers told us you can get the best frozen yogurt in the Capital Region.

1. 16 Handles

2. TCBY

3. Menchie's

Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt | Facebook4. sweetFrog

Cindy Schultz5. Ayelada

Best restaurant to open in the past year

We suspect an organized campaign, but that's OK. All's fair in love and new-restaurant voting. Tipsy Moose, open since June in a hidden neighborhood spot in Latham, is a quirky little locally owned tavern that easily edged out Brick House, a chain outfit that replaced its corporate sibling Joe's Crab Shack on primo property near the Northway and Latham Farms.

1. Tipsy Moose Tavern, Latham

2. Brick House Tavern & Tap, Latham

3. Troy Kitchen, Troy

4. Wolff's Biergarten, Troy

5. Berben & Wolff's Vegan Delicatessen, Albany

6. Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, Guilderland

7. Mess Hall, Averill Park

8. Bellini's Counter, Guilderland and Albany

9. The Glass Tavern, Glenville

10. Junior's Bar & Grill, North Greenbush

Best locally owned restaurant

Those industriously voting Tipsy patrons were at it again, giving the tavern a win. In an indication of changing tastes, a vegan eatery came in second.

Even with the abundance of so-called "better burger" chains that have been moving into the area, only one made it onto our list, predictably losing out to perennial favorite, Jack's.

1. Jack's Drive-In, Wynantskill

2. Burger 21, Latham

3. Crave, Albany

4. Jumpin' Jack's Drive-in, Scotia

5. Tipsy Moose Tavern, Latham

(Five Guys and Druthers would have made the list if multiple locations were allowed)

Best pizza

It's a real testament to the fervent feelings generated by Kay's that a seasonal shop out in the country repeatedly defeats in-town businesses with multiple locations. Kay's just does it right.

1. Kay's Pizza, Averill Park

2. I Love NY Pizza, multiple locations

3. Paesan's Pizza, multiple locations

4. DeFazio's Pizzeria, Troy

5. Red Front, Clifton Park and Troy

Best chicken wings

The Ruck is a curious case: a formerly divey place that has evolved into a destination for gourmet pub grub, great beer, even an upstairs spot, called Next Level, that does seasonal small-plates pairings with quality beers. And yet the high-powered kitchen staff still knows how to turn out superb wings.

1. The Ruck, Troy

2. Rusty Nail, Clifton Park

3. Ralph's Tavern, Colonie

4. Wings Over Albany

5. Junior's Bar and Grill, Albany

Best Sandwich Shop

Big news: The venerable Gershon's gets unseated by a neighbor to the north! At the bottom of the list but obviously rising in its fans: a vegan spot.

1. Halfmoon Sandwich & Salad Shoppe, Clifton Park

2. Gershon's Deli, Schenectady

3. Genoa Importing, Loudonville

4. Pellegrino Importing, Albany

5. Deli & Brew, Troy

6. Berben & Wolff's Vegan Delicatessen, Albany

Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant

Here's a fascinating one-two finish: New World, led by Ric Orlando, who's been preaching fresh-local-seasonal for three decades gets strong competition from a less-than-year-old Korean place that actually has its own farm.

1. New World Bistro Bar, Albany

2. Sunhee's Farm & Kitchen, Troy

3. Mouzon House, Saratoga Springs

4. Lakeside Farms, Ballston Lake

5. Garden Bistro 24, Latham

Best Chinese Restaurant

The top three in this ranking consistently stays the same. At the top: Venerable Plum Blossom, open for about 35 years.

1. Plum Blossom Chinese Restaurant, Brunswick

2. Ala Shanghai Chinese Cuisine, Latham

3. Rain Modern Chinese, Albany

4. Gold Coin Restaurant, Slingerlands

5. Buffalo Wagon, Colonie

Best Italian Restaurant

In a satisfying development, voters this year finally didn't name the chain Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse to their favorites, instead spreading their affections across the region to a handful of old reliables.

1. D'Raymonds, Loudonville

2. Caffe Italia, Albany

3. Testo's Restaurant & Pizza, Troy

4. Canali's Restaurant, Schenectady

5. Cafe Capriccio, Albany

Best Japanese

If there's a theme here, it's that our readers' preference is for big places with teppanyaki tables that are also right off the Northway. The top three are all no more than a few hundred yards of an I-87 exit.

1. Koto Japanese Restaurant, Colonie

2. Hana Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar, Albany

3. Sake Japanese Steakhouse, Colonie

4. Shogun, Albany

5. Sake Café, Albany

6. Sushi X, Colonie

Best Thai

Despite being closed for nine months last year after its damage to its Schenectady building forced a move to Niskayuna, Thai Thai Bistro's fans stuck with it, voting it into fourth place. Newcomer Celadon Thai, just over a year old, continues to build a deserved reputation for authenticity and quality.

1. Bangkok Bistro, Colonie

2. Sweet Basil Thai Restaurant, Albany

3. Sukhothai, Albany

4. Thai Thai Bistro, Niskayuna

5. Celadon Thai, Latham

Best Vietnamese

Listen up, voters: You actually put Yono's in Albany at the top of this category. Yono's is an eclectic contemporary American restaurant with a soul rooted in the homeland of chef-owner Yono Purnomo — and that's Indonesia. Fun fact: They're about 1,100 miles apart by air.

1. Van's Vietnamese Restaurant

2. Saigon Spring, Clifton Park

3. Pho Yum, multiple locations in Albany

4. Phila Fusion Noodle Bar, Saratoga Springs

Best Indian/Pakistani

Frequent winner Karavalli is closely followed by the trio of Shalimars, which suggests regional convenience played a part. Sitar is still among the region's favorites after 35 years.

1. Karavalli, Latham

2. Shalimar, Latham

3. Shalimar, Delmar

4. Shalimar, Troy

5. Curry House, Albany

6. Sitar, Colonie

Best Mexican/Central/South American Restaurant

Now about midway through its fourth decade in business, El Loco's popularity didn't dip at all after an ownership change in 2012. And why should it — the menu and staff stayed largely the same.

1. El Loco Mexican Cafe, Albany

2. El Mariachi, Albany

3. La Fiesta, Clifton Park

4. El Charro Mexican Grill, Latham

5. Salsa Latina, Albany

Best diner

After a drop to second place last year, Alexis is back on top, an unsurprising spot for anyone who's driven by to see a frequently packed parking lot.

1. Alexis Diner, North Greenbush

2. Latham 76, Latham

3. Blue Ribbon, Schenectady

4. Halfmoon Diner, Clifton Park

5. Bob's Diner, Watervliet

6. Gateway Diner, Albany

Best cheap eats

Ha! Take that, you Big Evil Chains: Our beloved little spots serving mini hot dogs with mystery-meat sauce can take you on any day.

1. Gus's Hotdogs, Watervliet

2. McDonald's

3. Wendy's

4. Taco Bell

5. Famous Lunch, Troy

Best barbecue

We've puzzled our little heads over the one and can only surmise that Brooks' popularity must be due to its role as a frequent provider of barbecue for fundraisers at Capital Region churches, firehouses and other community centers. The restaurant itself, after all, is about 85 miles from Albany.

1. Dinosaur BBQ, Troy

2. Brooks' House of BBQ, Oneonta

3. Texas Roadhouse, Colonie

4. Pig Pit, Cohoes

5. Capital Q, Albany

6. Smokey Bones, Colonie

7. PJ's BAR-B-QSA, Saratoga Springs

Best Southern

Of course Hattie's is our favorite Southern: only three owners since its 1938 founding, and the recipe for friend chicken hasn't changed.

1. Hattie's Restaurant, Saratoga Springs

2. The Flying Chicken

3. Capital Q Smokehouse, Albany

4. Ya Ya's House, Schenectady

5. Texas Roadhouse, Colonie

Best vegetarian

Vegetarians never lack for choice at New World Bistro Bar, where dishes are originally conceived as vegetarian or vegan; they're not just meat dishes with tofu subbed in. Add to that the availability of making most items gluten-free and you've got a restaurant responsive to its guests' preferences.

1. New World Bar Bistro, Albany

2. Honest Weight Food Co-op Deli, Albany

3. Bombers, Albany

4. Bombers, Schenectady

5. Berben & Wolff's Vegan Delicatessen, Albany

6. Antipasto's, Clifton Park

Best steakhouse

Quantity and value pricing edge out big-city swank and prime-grade beef every year in this category. Of note is that four of the top half-dozen are chains.

1. Delmonico's, Colonie & Clifton Park

2. Angelo's 677 Prime, Albany

3. Barnsider, Colonie

4. Texas Roadhouse, Colonie

5. The Bears' Steakhouse, Duanesburg

6. Black & Blue, Guilderland

Best bar for beer

We're in a golden age of beer. You'll be able to find high-quality sudsy relief no matter what local city you're in when a parched palate calls out for relief.

1. Druthers Brewing Co., Albany and Saratoga Springs

2. The Ruck, Troy

3. Brown's Brewing Co., Troy

4. Wolff's Biergarten, multiple locations

5. Tipsy Moose Tavern, Latham

Best bar for wine

After a mysterious absensce last year, Saratoga's venerable wine bar is back near the top of this list, perhaps as a result of head chef Mark Graham's return to the kitchen he ran for five years at the beginning of this century.

1. Lucas Confectionery, Troy

2. The Wine Bar, Saratoga Springs

3. The Ginger Man, Albany

4. Twisted Vine and Tap, Delmar

5. The Point, Albany

Best bar for singles

What, people in Schenectady aren't looking to meet prospective partners, long- or short-term? Are there more singles in Albany? Regardless, here's where to find like-minded folks.

1. City Line Bar and Grill, Albany

2. The Ruck, Troy

3. The Point, Albany

4. Graney's Stout, Albany

5. Peddler's Bar and Bistro, Clifton Park

Best bar to find politicians

Pssst, Best Of voters: The hotbed of political quaffing and supping is Wellington's at the Renaissance, where the expanse of windows directly faces the state Capitol. Check it out and you'll see.

1. Jack's Oyster House, Albany

2. Angelo's 677 Prime, Albany

3. McGeary's Irish Pub, Albany

4. Center Square Pub, Albany

Best place to get a cone/dish of ice cream

Take the same handful of names, toss them in the air and see which lands first. That's about how favorite spots for ice cream stack up in each year's voting. Last year, Stewart's was first, Snowman second, Guptill's third.

1. Snowman, Troy

2. Guptill's Coney Express, Cohoes

3. Stewart's Shop, multiple locations

4. Emack & Bolio's, Albany

5. Ben & Jerry's, multiple locations

6. Kurver Kreme, Albany

7. Jumpin' Jacks Drive-in, Scotia

Best Coffee Shop

After just a couple of years in business, Stacks, with locations on Lark Street and in downtown Albany, moves strongly into second, fitting between the venerable pair that have been reader favorites since the Times Union's first Best of Balloting, in 1997.

1. Professor Java's, Colonie

2. Stacks Espresso Bar, Albany

3. Daily Grind, Troy

4. Spill'n the Beans Coffeehouse & Bistro, Troy

5. Perfect Blend, Delmar

Best restaurant for outdoor dining

Common theme here: waterfront dining, available at four of the six favorites.

1. Brown's Brewing Co., Troy

2. Jumpin' Jacks Drive-in, Scotia

3. Druthers, Saratoga Springs

4. Lanie's Café, Albany

5. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Troy

6. Waters Edge Lighthouse, Schenectady

Best Restaurant for a Romantic Night Out

The atmospheres of these six differ dramatically; what's similar, and obviously essential to the equation when considering a romantic night out, is quality food and sharp service.

1. Angelo's 677 Prime, Albany

2. Yono's Restaurant, Albany

3. Peck's Arcade, Troy

4. New World Bistro Bar, Albany

5. Black & Blue, Guilderland

Best Family Restaurant

Even without "family style" in its name, Augie's would do well in this category, and deservedly so: big portions, fair pricing, broadly appealing menu. And there's no better place to bring the kids for pizza than Kay's.

1. Augie's Family Style Italian Restaurant, Ballston Spa

2. Buca di Beppo, Albany

3. Testo's Restaurant & Pizza, Troy

4. Kay's Pizza

Best Chain Restaurant

Maybe we should have been more specific with this category: It's strange to see Bellini's, with three locations, and Bombers, with two, in the same list as eateries with thousands.

1. Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2. Delmonico's

3. Bellini's

4. Panera

5. Chipotle Mexican Grill

6. The Cheesecake Factory

7. Bombers Burrito Bar

8. Texas Roadhouse

Best Place to Get Frozen Yogurt

How much do we love froyo? So much that the top five finishers in this category all arrived in the area with the past five years or so. (TCBY had a presence in the area in the 1980s but faded until its 2011 return.) All five also have multiple locations.

1. 16 Handles

2. TCBY

3. Menchie's

4. SweetFrog

5. Ayelada, Latham

6. Guptill's Coney Express, Latham

Best chef

Here's an example of customer fondness producing a galvanizing effect. How else to explain the third-place finish of a guy who cooks at a season ice-cream stand, right behind a pair of top-flight chefs who have been at the top of area restaurants for more than 30 years apiece?

1. Ric Orlando, New World Bistro Bar, Albany, and New World Home Cooking, Saugerties

2. Yono Purnomo, Yono's and DP: An American Brasserie, Albany

3. Steve Harris, Mac's Drive-in, Watervliet

4. Devin Ziemann, Crave, Albany

5. Nick Ruscitto, Peck's Arcade, Troy

Best place to get the fastest sit-down lunch (that isn't fast food)

Because this was a write-in category, as opposed to one with options chosen from list, we got fast food anyway despite specifically requesting that such places not be nominated. Chipotle and Panera may seem better or more healthful than McDonald's but they're still fast food. So in our minds the vegan deli on Lark Street wins.